The Chicago Women's March was an amazing experience. I personally marched for every single woman I've ever come into contact with. My mother. My sister and sisters-in-law. My cousins. My friends. My clients. I wanted to stand for every woman, ever. Being surrounded by 250,000 like-minded people, marching for basic rights made it very easy to forget that many of the women that I marched for degraded my desire to do so.
Coming home and sharing pictures, and receiving the backlash from friends, family, and people I've never met... Well, it hurt. A lot. But I'll happily take that pain and use it to continue to do better for us all.
One such soul told me that I was very bitter.
"You are very bitter you think you're the only one nobody should go through what you said why didn't you go to the cops why would you stay with somebody like that why do you blame everybody for what you had to endure you are not the only one that's gone through that and I'm sure there are people that have gone through worse even men. hate only gets hate Injustice is wrong and you can't blame everybody for your a****** ex husband there are people out there that you probably give attitude towards that would love to beat the living s*** out of him"
Now, normally, I try to disengage from social media arguments. But this is an issue I am so deeply passionate about that I find myself speaking out every chance I get. I do not know why my passion is often mistaken for bitterness - because this is not the first time I have been told this. 10 years ago, YES - I was bitter. I had not dealt with my abuse or the feelings that came from it. Today I channel my energy into trying to make this world better. I do not feel bitter. I do not carry anger in my heart towards my abusers. I do not (often) feel regret that I wasn't rescued from what happened to me.
So, for all the Paul's in this world - I marched for you too. Because the direction of this administration scares me. Because it harms EVERYONE. Not just women. Not just immigrants. But everyone. Every single one of us.
I marched because I love you all.